As a professional organizer, I was often asked to stage homes for sale while the family was still living there. If you\u2019re in that position, staging can seem daunting. Looking for that perfect new home is challenging enough. You also need to make your home appealing to buyers so it sells quickly for top price while you keep your family\u2019s life running smoothly.<\/p>\n
Your realtor will probably ask you to paint so your home is a fresh canvas. As you prepare, it\u2019s time to give it away, throw it away, or put it away. According to the LA Times, the \u201caverage household has 300,000 things.\u201d Even more alarming: \u201cU.S. children make up 3.7% of children on the planet but have 47% of all toys and children\u2019s books.\u201d<\/p>\n
Survey your spaces with a stranger\u2019s eye. If you find it challenging to simplify, a professional organizer can provide an objective perspective to make the job easier. Start with the entryway. The first impression often determines whether a buyer falls in love with your home or walks away.<\/p>\n
Here are 10 tips for staging your home:<\/p>\n
Remove extra furnishings.<\/strong> The realtor may bring several others in to walk through. Rearrange furnishings so entryways and walkways are clear. Buyers today look for good flow. Store excess furniture temporarily so your rooms are spacious and airy. How homes sell is very different from how we live in them.<\/p>\n Look for low-hanging fruit.<\/strong> Toss obvious trash: broken items, junk mail, excess paper, old catalogs, and newspapers. Clear out the electronics graveyard: old computer towers, nonfunctioning remotes, and obsolete media. Before you discard, erase or destroy the hard drive, so that personal information is not compromised. Find places that recycle old electronics.<\/p>\n Unstuff closets and cabinets.<\/strong> Buyers look inside. Remove old clothes and household goods, unused small appliances, and chipped dishes. Worn linens and towels are welcome donations to animal shelters. Donate all usable but unneeded items to save on moving costs.<\/p>\n Store out-of-season clothing. <\/strong>Closets will appear larger and more organized. Off-site storage may afford you a little time to downsize your possessions to fit your new living arrangements.<\/p>\n Pack personal items.<\/strong> Don\u2019t distract buyers with pictures of your cute grandchildren or impressive alma mater. You want them to admire your home and imagine their own family living there. A neutral background, tasteful artwork, elegant mirrors, and a few colorful accent pillows create an inviting look.<\/p>\n Store books, collections, memorabilia, and photos.<\/strong> Not only will this make the transition easier, but you will also save on moving costs. These can be delivered to your new home once furnishings are in place, and you can unpack accessories at a leisurely pace.<\/p>\n Make sure plants are healthy and vibrant.<\/strong> Sickly plants tell buyers you don\u2019t care for your home. Dried arrangements and silk flowers collect dust and look dated. A better choice is a vase full of fresh leaves or flowers for the open house.<\/p>\n Make modest repairs to fix glaring problems.<\/strong> It\u2019s time to patch, paint, and clean until your home is spotless. Even a fixer-upper can be scrubbed clean. Carpets and windows need to be clean. No one wants to buy someone else\u2019s dirt.<\/p>\n Now that it\u2019s sparkling, refresh your home. <\/strong>New lampshades, shower curtains, linens, and towels can make a tired home look fresh and modern. Your model is hotel chic, simple yet stylish, with white towels and neutral fabrics. To add personality, organize bookshelves, and add a few decorative objects. Corral magazines into a basket and use woven bins on closet shelves to tidy accessories. Pay particular attention to the bathroom. Decant products and add a new bar of soap. Clear the medicine cabinet of old products and hide medications. People open closets and cabinets, so make sure they appear neat. Store everyday grooming supplies in a basket in the linen closet for easy retrieval.<\/p>\n Finishing touches create a welcoming, buyer-friendly space.<\/strong> Make sure your apartment smells fresh, but please, no artificial candles or perfume. A pretty bowl of lemons or a large glass vase of flowers is an inexpensive, fresh, fragrant fix. And last, much as we love our pets, have them taken out of the home during open houses and hide the evidence. Some people are allergic, and may not be fond of your fur babies under foot.<\/p>\n Now you can relax knowing that you\u2019ve made your realtor\u2019s job easier and your life manageable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As a professional organizer, I was often asked to stage homes for sale while the family was still living there. If you\u2019re in that position, staging can seem daunting. Looking for that perfect new home is challenging enough. 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